Remnants of the Fallout
by NaughtFiction
Summary: Sometimes even a Huntress-in-training needs a break from the daily grind of academics, training, and Grimm. As a result, Nora suggests that she, Ruby, and Velvet see what the buzz surrounding a video game series about a world without Grimm. What begins as a curious exploration (and some tinkering) turns accident when all three girls are confronted with their own imminent fallout.
1. Teaser 1 The Lone Wanderer

**A/N: This was something I just had to get out there because it was at the back of my mind and wouldn't go away. I hadn't plan on putting remotely anything out, but there was that gut feeling that asked that I do. If I didn't, it felt like an opportunity missed and I felt that exact same way when I posted the prologue for _The Longest Hunt_. I promise I'm still working on that chapter, and no I haven't given up. This was just something I had to put to a page before it was lost to me.**

* * *

" _It's you and me, now, okay? You and me. But that's fine. So long as we've got each other, that's all that matters."_

She tosses and turns in the dark, flinching and squirming at the unseen presence that haunts her restless sleep. The voice is familiar and warm, but the source feels so far away from her; urging that innate sense of danger and anxiousness to deepen. It's a fear she can't escape as faces begin to flash vaguely before her, and matched by the equally unsettling coalescing of multiple voices.

" _Just remember one thing. We need a doctor, not a deadbeat. Fail to meet my expectations and there will be repercussions."_

" _And now a toast. To James and his cheery cherub. May your future be bight, safe, and boring as hell."_

" _What's the matter, teacher's pet? Gonna cry? Aww… Waaahh!"_

" _A few decorations, some donated toys, and this place will feel just like home."_

Home.

Her brow furrows deeply in confusion.

The "home" she knew all her life were filled with fluorescent light, stone, and steel; it was where the air she breathed tasted filtered and sanitary. "Home" was where many people lived in such a small confined space, but the closeness was comforting even if some neighbors were insufferable. It was a place where meals always seemed to come from somewhere, even if she and the other kids didn't really know where. How could a "home" so underground have a farm? Such food needed sunlight and they didn't have any of that. Everything about her home, the Vault, was everything she knew since the moment she was born. Everyone she grew to know, everything her world revolved around was inside that place alone.

But she was sure that she grew up somewhere else.

There was supposed to a house, a big one, in the open space of a forest where all four seasons would come and go in its infinite cycle. The skies would be colored in a myriad of colors at dawn and dusk, and the summers were always the brightest of blues. There were hills of grass, beaches and shores she would watch, and these ships that would take off into the air with people inside to some faraway place. She would watch them every now and them, her eyes trying to follow them as far as they could.

Everything thing about this other place was vivid in detail, and there was a confidence to walk those streets with such vigor and liveliness. It was as if she knew this place so well.

" _What is their problem anyway? So I'm the Overseer's daughter? So what? Like I get any kind of special treatment!"_

" _ **It's exactly as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold."**_

No, something's wrong.

Her life, her world, was within that Vault. Where else would she have met her only best friend other than that place? She couldn't just erase all those years together, that history, simply at a whim.

" _No, Mister Deloria, that is not correct. Tell me. Are you really that stupid?"_

" _ **Remember, students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence!"**_

A history of a world afraid of the outside, trapped within concrete and steel walls while everyone lived and died inside. They were safe and away from the dangers and creatures outside their little haven, and all they had to do was work together as one to keep everyone alive. In spite of the differences, the rumors, the snide remarks, the suspicion, and hovering security at the command of a central power, they survived.

" _Your mommy? Oh, sweetie… I… Of course I miss her… so much. Each day more than the last."_

Mom.

She felt something grip her heart tightly, like one of those old vice grips in Stanley's workshop. When she tried to think about her, to remember a face or a name, it became excruciating to bear and a hand gripped at her chest in protest. Anything to stop the pain, or to recall anything at all about the woman she could hardly… forget?

Her mother had hair like hers, features that she (the daughter) inherited so much from, and silver eyes that watched over her and the others with such great care and love. And encompassing all of that was a snow white cloak, signifying her mother's presence years after her death mysterious death.

Another surge of pain wracked her body.

Why would her mother's death be mysterious? Her dad said it was due to complications during childbirth, and not…

" _ **What are you doing?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?!"**_

Damage?

She was going to hurt someone again?

" _Yeah? Well daddy doctor ain't here to save you now, is he? So what you gonna do now, huh?"_

She didn't need him for all of her fights. She would take on that stupid Tunnel Snake bully just like the time before, and make her sister proud.

" _ **There's no such thing as negative friends. You just made one friend and one enemy!"**_

It was stupid that she would be praised for something like fighting, but it still brought a smile to her face. But she doesn't remember having a sister… She was an only child, wasn't she?

Another sharp wince as the pain pulsed.

" _Stop gawking and get back to work. Selfish and insubordinate, just like your father."_

" _ **If it were up to me, you'd be sent home, with a pat on the back… and a slap on the wrist!"**_

There were too many voices.

Too many of them for her to make out or remember.

" _Look, it's just… You need to know these things. I'm not going to be around to hold your hand forever…"_

" _ **Sure, you may be acting like huntresses, but you're not thinking like one. Do you really think four girls and their friends can end all crime in the kingdom?"**_

She didn't know what most of this mean.

It was as if all the voices were arguing with one another, contradicting what the other tried to say. Or were they speaking in agreement? A unified voice that tried to reach her in the depths of her sleep, begging for her to understand them?

" _Well that's a surprise. I'm used to every asshole smoothskin in this town treating me like shit just cause I look like a corpse. It's good to see there are still a few worthwhile people out there."_

" _ **My mom always says, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."**_

" _Any moment now, you'll be dead! Are you excited to see what that's lke?"_

" _ **She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."**_

" _Tunnel Snakes rule!"_

" _ **Ooh! We'll break his legs!"**_

" _Revelations, 21:6. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end…"_

" _ **It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control for his body."**_

" _It's a big world out there, honey, full of all sorts of people. What about you? What kind of person are you going to be?"_

" _ **I'm just glad to have my girls back at home."**_

Back at home…

If he meant those words, then why did he leave?

If he loved her, then why did he abandon her without so much as a word?

She turns over and over as the voices begin to swell, drowning her in all of the noise. Hands rushed to her cover her ears against the soundless barrage, and her legs kicked defiantly in a struggle to push out the noise.

" **Ruby! Wake up!"**

Someone was calling to her, but who? If only she could remember, then maybe she could ask the voice for help.

" **Please wake up! It's me! It's—"**

Ruby shot up from her bed, body soaked with sweat and trepidation as eye darted quickly about the room. Sheets and scraps of metal made the walls, roof, and floor in a earnest attempt to create some stability and comfort. It wasn't as structurally sound, and it didn't keep the sounds out or in, but it was better than sleeping in some worn down ruins where anything could get at her. She couldn't bear to think about another night without sleeping comfortably or with a finger constantly curled around the trigger. Without looking, her left hand searches blindly under her pillow and felt the grip of a gun tucked under there for safety.

Her dad would have been furious to learn if she kept dangerous stuff so close. He wouldn't even let her sleep with the BB gun he and Jonas gave her one birthday on her side of the room. For a man who raised her with both a hands on and off approach, he was also the worst worrier at home. Ruby pulls out the 10mm pistol, inspecting in the light that filtered through the holes of her shanty home.

Which Vault Security guard did she pick this up from?

Ruby shakes her head in grim dismissal.

What did it matter anyway?

Officer Kendall, someone who she believed would be the one to make sure everyone was okay, _attacked_ her. She had helped him fend off the Radroaches that swarmed him, swinging away with her baseball bat, and then he…

No.

The people she believed would protect her and the others turned against them, gunning down Tom and Mary Holden for no reason she could think of. They were one of them, the few children that were allowed to be had in the Vault, and they…

Her breathing hitches at the memory of how their bodies fell under gunfire. She had barely missed them, and was too late to warn them of the guards. Ruby didn't know how she got away or how she came into possession of the gun. It was all a blur, and all she could do was run. Maybe they shot at her, but perhaps Kendall's armor that she used protected her.

Ruby's hands unlocked the magazine, slipping it out of his secure place inside the grip to look over her ammunition. They were all accounted, but she knew that like water it would be quick to go. Pulling back on the receiver, she noted that one still sat in the chamber when she return the gun back to its loaded state.

"Madam?"

 _Click!_

Ruby's hand trembled as she aimed the gun toward her room's door, the trigger pulled instinctively while the gun remained jammed. She steadied her breath, calming with time paced inhales and exhales as the sound of her door knocked.

"Madam Rose? Is everything alright?" the voice inquired dutifully. "You were talking in your sleep, and I took it upon myself to see if you were well."

She quickly worked away at the jam, sorting out the kink and stowed away the now functional gun back under her pillow. Ruby would have to take another look at it tomorrow morning for any other problems. She couldn't have her only other weapon break on her too.

"I'm fine Wadsworth," she called out. "Just another nightmare. You know how I am, getting all scared in my sleep and stuff."

"Would you like for me to prepare you a glass of clean drinking water?"

"No, it's fine. We're going to need that for emergencies, and trade if necessary. Really though, I'm okay."

"Of course madam."

There was a slight pause, and Ruby prepared herself for bed once more when the tapping returned; urgently this time.

"Wadsworth, I promise I don't need anything. I'd tell you if I did, I swear!"

"That would be your guest, Madam."

"Oh."

Ruby slapped her forehead as a chiding reminder. How could she forget about him? She moved to her door, unlocking it as the tapping grew more insistent, and began to open it. The moment the door gave way, a medium sized figure squeezed its way through, hopping on its bed worriedly where brown eyes watched. Its tail wagged happily with the permission to enter (one she did not remember giving), but there was still the look of concern on the creature's face.

"Not you too Dogmeat."

The German shepherd simply whined, moving in circles on her bed before settling down on the worn mattress. His muzzle rested on her only pillow, nudging it impatiently as if to say, _"Come sleep with me please."_ Ruby fixed him with as best a stern look she could at the dog, but the creature was blissfully unaware as it continued to whine.

"Fine…" she relented. Dogmeat barked happily in agreement, and Ruby moved to her makeshift workbench of a desk to leave her pistol. Sleeping on a gun with something that barely passed for a pillow was uncomfortable, and she trusted Wadsworth to alert her of any unwanted visitors. She sets down the 10mm on an open space, but her silver eye catch the glint of the other gun she had been working on for some time. Her fingers traced the long barrel, worn yet smooth with use and exposure to the elements. She had only heard about such rifles in old textbooks, but she never expected to see one for herself, let alone one stored away in some secret stone crevice.

The sniper rifle became her project, something to work on when going outside the town proved too dangerous. It was more complicated than her BB gun, but it kept her thoughts busy and away from her dad.

"Dad." She whispered quietly.

She had to find him soon, but this world was so big and Pip Boy could only map out so much. Ruby had gathered some leads on where he could have gone, but she was hardly prepared for the journey there. She still needed time, and she wasn't sure if it was time her dad had. Her eyes drifted to the last thing in the room, a modified Vault suit that she draped over the back of her work chair. Made specifically for personal defense with armored alterations, it proved better than her own suit that she grew into over the years.

" _I'm pretty sure I remember a girl coming into town with that about ten, twelve years ago."_

There was a chance that she was still out there.

Maybe then they could find her dad together.

He was just as much her dad as she was her sister.

Dogmeat barks insistently this time, huffing and grumbling as he watches Ruby move and climbs into bed.

"Alright, I get it."

Resting her head on the pillow, she can feel the shepherd move and position himself comfortably to sleep at her side. She could feel him nuzzling her cheek and neck, licking at her affectionately to a point she had to push his face away.

"Stop it. Your breath stinks."

The dog took no offense, and instead rested his head across her stomach. Ruby begins to run her fingers through his fur, scratching behind his ears and at his neck.

"I guess you and I don't really have anyone anymore, huh?"

Dogmeat whines quietly, but makes no other movement.

"I thought you belonged to someone else, with how you came up to me out of no where. I almost shot you too, you dunce."

Ruby could hear him breath out sharply, a snort; probably in disbelief or snark.

"But you don't seem so bad."

Dogmeat wagged his tail in response.

"I never had a dog before."

Even when she spoke those words, and when sleep began to overtake her, for some odd reason she couldn't believe that to be true.

* * *

"Ruby! Ruby!"

"That's enough Yang," a voice answered. "She's stabilized for now, but I don't believe she can hear us."

Even as she spoke those words, Weiss knew that Yang wouldn't relent. It had surprised them that the young reaper began to react at all, calling out for them specifically in her unconscious state. It was both a blessing and a curse, telling the rest of them that she was fine and at least coherent to a degree where she still remembered them. Yet it only brought more concerns as Ruby called out of her parents, her friends, and people the heiress was unsure if were real or from her partner's own home. Blake moved over to Yang, slowly steadying the shaking hands and guiding the older sister away in spite of her protests. Weiss didn't need to know or hear exactly what Blake was murmuring to her partner, but she was thankful that it helped calm the distressed sister.

The door to Ruby's room opened quickly, and she turned to find a familiar knight standing in the doorway; panting frantically as nurses moved passed him into the room.

"I heard that she's—!"

Wiess shook her head.

"Ruby's talking in her sleep, but she can't hear us."

She stood, giving the nurses a wide berth to work.

"What about Nora and Velvet?" she asked him. By the look on his face, Weiss knew that they were remained in similar states.

"Coco said that Velvet has yet to make any reaction to the treatments. They're worried that she might not be responsive at all, and..."

Jaune's words trailed off as Weiss looked over to the rest of her team. Blake nodded her off. She would take care of her partner, and the heiress pulled the blonde knight after her in her exit.

"And Nora?"

"Like Ruby," he answered slowly. "Still sleeping, but she won't stop calling for Ren."

They walked down the halls of the infirmary in relative silence toward the lobby. She noticed how speaking about his team made Jaune wear a different sort of conflict on his face; he was worried about his team and friends, but he also noted that particular detail specifically.

"And how is he?"

"Probably tying with Yang in the worry department," Jaune tried to joke. His half hearted chuckle fell short, and he had to force himself to sit when they arrived in the open seating area. His head buried deeply in his hands, and it stayed there as she took a seat beside him.

"He won't leave her side," he spoke. "I mean, he's her only family and they registered themselves like that. Aside from the rest of us, Ren has been allowed full access to see her and Ozpin was nice enough to give him and Yang and Coco some time away from class. But he's not... well."

Weiss could understand, or at least empathize where the young man was coming. Despite being soft spoken, everyone learned that Ren would the most animated or expressive around Nora and Nora alone. She, more or less, brought out the cordial and social aspect of the man whether he liked it or not.

They were inseparable, or at least believed they were.

"He doesn't eat anything we bring him, and won't talk to me or Pyrrha when we come to see Nora. Ren just... stopped."

He lifted his head to look at Weiss, the mournful expression was something she was beginning to see within all of her friends. It was also the first expression she saw every morning in the mirror every since the accident.

"I want to help him," Jaune pleaded more to himself. " _We_ want to help, but he's just shut us out and all we're doing now is just watching them. I can't just let him do that to himself, hell, even Nora wouldn't let him do that to himself."

His hand reached out to hers, gripping them tightly. Were this another moment, another Jaune and another Weiss, she would have rebuffed the contact. Her fingers wrapped around his in consolation while deep azure eyes searched icy blues.

"What do I do Weiss? What do I do to help him?"

Of course he would ask her out of them all. The perfect heiress with all the answers, all the explanations, all the means to solve a problem because she herself wouldn't allow anything less.

"I don't know Jaune," she answered. If she did, then she would have been able to help out Velvet or her own partner.

"I don't know..."


	2. Teaser 2 The Courier

Velvet watched the camp carefully from afar, hardened eyes counting the site's occupants through her binoculars. Night had fallen, and there was little worry of blowing their position under another Mojave moon. It had taken them some time to track the travelling group, and it was always a gamble between covering lost ground or forgo their concealment. Even when properly armed, she knew better than to underestimate the desert she spent her whole life fighting against. Even if they were higher up than anything could reach them, they were never truly alone.

She shifted slightly in her prone position, edging quietly toward the edge to gain a better position. There were five of them in total; two bound by the wrist, probably gagged, and three uniformed bodies keeping vigilant over their newly acquired persons. One watched over their bound persons by the fire, another keeping an eye on the perimeter, and the last sleeping inside a tent. By the looks of it, she gathered that this was more of a small scouting party meant to train new recruits. They were smaller, scrawny even, but the colors they wore were infamous enough to make the toughest mercs nervous. Those who allied themselves with the Legion were protected to a degree, though they were expected to adhere to whatever orders commanded of them. At that point, Velvet believed it was asking anyone what sort of slave they wish to be; a soldier or a commodity. She could hear her partner growl in frustrated anticipation, his impatience probably wearing thin.

"I'm looking at two initiates and probably a veteran," she reported. "It's a good ol' camping trip. Nothing the two of us can't handle."

"Don't take them lightly," the man warned. "One mistake is the difference between getting away with some injuries and getting away at all."

She lowers the binoculars and looks over to her side. Like her, he was lying prone in worn out clothes that hinted of military accents; combat fatigues (sans the over shirt) and boots colored like sand. The only other things standing out about him were the crimson beret and the shades he never removed. Of the things to stand out to her, those two things brought a strange feeling within the young woman. Like an ominous sense of déjà vu she couldn't shake off, threatening her in a way that made her wish she remembered. Velvet was sure that she knew someone like her current partner, or at least resembled the way he looked. That, and his consistently abrasive attitude to her. She returned to looking through her binoculars while he maintained a visual through his rifle's scope.

 ** _*beeping and chirping noises*_**

Above them both hovered a small, orbital bot that kept guard over them during their reconnaissance. Some sort of special Duraframe eyebot she found at the Mojave Express where she started her work as a courier. It was also the same place where it lead her to being knocked out and shot at point blank for some vague reason over a platinum poker chip. Still, Velvet didn't remember seeing such a thing upon her first visit, and with a bit of tinkering (with some scrap material she had on hand) she brought the thing back to life. She had very little experience travelling with anything robotic, but she welcomed any armed company that didn't outright shoot her. It even introduced itself (or something like an introduction) as "Eyebot Duraframe Subject E", but for the mouthful it was she simply called him Eddie.

Velvet believed it was the ideal companion; a guard dog that didn't need to be fed or watered, and someone to talk to who wouldn't talk back with such a familiarly sour attitude. It was nice, knowing she didn't have to sleep in some ruins with the constant fear of something creeping up on her. On a particularly good night, Eddie would have already dealt with them by the time she woke and brought her sights on the intruding bastards.

"You and I are thinking the same thing. Are you always this wound up?"

"This coming from a junkie?" he bit back. Velvet matched his surly expression with a scowl of her own. Hell, even Eddie gave her a few sympathetic blips. She had been nice enough to not ask too much about the man, even when she had helped him kill some woman the first few days of her arrival. Hell, she said nothing when she learned it was all about finding the person responsible for the turning his wife over to the Legion. She respected his boundaries, but he had forgotten to respect hers. Leave it to her to be honest about her "past time" to open up some sort of friendly connection, if not earn his trust. " _The Big Bastard Boone_ " she privately named him. Eddie was a better confidante, and the bot didn't particular have a choice in the matter.

"You don't know them like I do," he continued without an apology. "Even the weaker ones like those two can be a problem if you aren't careful. They train them to endure the worst, and enact their own."

"Good thing you're a crack shot."

 ** _*whirring and clicking sounds*_**

"See? Eddie agrees with me."

"Unless they take cover or their armor's too dense."

"Tell me again, what was your old motto?"

The sniper remained silent, but she knew he was getting agitated. Serves him right for being such a prick.

"I think it was something like, " _The last thing they never see_ " right? Well let's just hope you're not too rusty. Wait for my signal. Come on boy, you're with me."

Before there was any retort, Velvet shouldered her weapon and began to climb down from their vantage point with robotic companion in tow. Night wouldn't last long and she would have to make her move now if they wanted to strike before their leader was aware of the ambush. Practiced feet touched the earth quietly, and she carefully made her way toward the camp; mentally taking note of what she had on her. There were the microfusion cells for her laser rifle, tucked away in a convenient and easily accessible part of her belt. Her trusty broad machete remained sheathed at her side, a few stimpaks if things get too hairy, and some good ol' dynamite (thank you Easy Pete). It wasn't enough to kill someone outright, but it did pack enough punch to cripple a few raiders or slow down some eager nightstalkers. She even had a special surprise for this bunch, duct taping a few sticks together for a bigger boom.

Rock after rock they moved, careful to say still whenever she heard a sound that wasn't theirs. They would wait until she deemed it safe enough to move, and proceed to stalk toward the camp. Ducking behind some safe rocky cover, Velvet peered around to see the camp's inhabitants still there as one of the recruits moved toward the fire. They were still some good distance away, but moving any further would put them in the open. There was an exchange of voices, too low for her to hear, but she assumed they were about switch turns. She brought up the Pip-Boy, careful to keep both bodies in view for the VATS to scan over. It would be the only time both targets would be in close proximity with each other, and she would need Eddie to work with her in tandem like always.

"Safety protocols off Eddie. Red means Dead."

 ** _*Clearance granted. Bystanders accounted for. Awaiting command.*_**

She drew her rifle, placing the stock firmly against her shoulder as her eyes focused on her target through her scope; right between those goggled eyes. VATS had given her a good seventy-six percent to hit, but she would have to make do.

"Sync in three…"

 ** _*2*_**

"One…"

Velvet squeezes the trigger, and her rifle hums with a warm familiar thrum as a line of red energy surges across the open space. She watches through the lens as the laser hits its mark, singing the helmet of the recruit as Eddie's own streak of crimson strikes the other recruit in the chest. Pained cries fill the night air as they both continue to fire at the two Legionnaire Recruits, and the two of them kept up the constant barrage of energy based attack. She was quick to fire at the vital areas of joints and unarmored flesh; sparing no advantage that could be in their favor.

"Ambush!" One of them cried. "We're being—"

She squeezes the trigger once more and the shot fires true, singeing a path through the man's throat. His hands grabbed desperately at the wound before falling over still, leaving his partner with a similar fate as Eddie hones its targeting sensors over the man's chest. Blood spurts forth from his mouth, cradling the gaping hole over his stomach as he falls back. Discharging the spent fusion cell, Velvet loads another as the Veteran quickly emerges from his tent from the sudden commotion. His movement is frantic, searching for the source of the attack when his looks toward Velvet's direction; too slow to duck and hide. Upon impulse (and hearing the war cry of the Veteran), she pulls away from view as a hail of bullets fire in rapid procession; chipping away at her earthy cover. Her bot companion doesn't fair so well, taking a few hits against his metallic frame before charging toward the oncoming foe. She could hear the man grunt in pain, but it is overcome by the sound of Eddie's chassis continuing to endure the hail of lead. Eventually, there is a heavy sound of something falling to the ground and the gunfire stops.

" _Shit,"_ she curses under her breath. It would take some time to fix the poor thing up, assessing the damage and hoping the parts she kept around would be enough. Velvet couldn't even move from her cover unless she was willing to take a few hits if it means trying to fire a shot off in return.

"The Legion will ensure your suffering is long and torturous," the Veteran called out. "All the rumors you miserable and pathetic lot have heard are NOTHING to what we do to those who openly oppose us!"

Another hail of bullets ricochet hits her cover as the man approaches.

"Crucifixion will be a mercy compared to what I have in mind! We will flay your flesh!"

Velvet hastily removes the scope from her laser rifle, tucking it in a secure pocket while her hands searched elsewhere.

"You will watch as we feed you bit by bit to the hounds!"

" _Come on, COME ON! Where are you!?"_ Her thoughts race as her fingers wrap around a familiar item.

"And if you still draw breath then!"

There is a brief moment of relief as she pulls out the syringe, and quickly slams it against her leg. Her thumb pushes against the plunger, and she grits her teeth as fire surges throughout her body.

"Then may Caesar grace your presence as he passes judgment over your final moments!"

Velvet feels the familiar rush of adrenaline, a deafening beat pulsing in her ears, and she throws the spent syringe. Even in the haze of the Med-X effects, she quickly counts the seconds where the Veteran would round the corner to find her. The man would no doubt empty a full clip into her if she wasn't careful, but her faces pulls into a joyous grin; the anticipation of drug induced battle high so tantalizing close. Her hands, though numb, grip her weapon tightly as she rounds the stony cover.

A shot is heard overhead, and in her unfocused state Velvet notices the man staggering slightly. It doesn't deter him from pulling the trigger, and a few parts of her body rock against the impact as she pushes the charge. She endures, and in a swift motion swings the stock of her laser rifle against the offending hand. It disarms the Veteran, and she follows up with a quick jab towards the concealed face; pushing her body with the blow. It knocks the man back, crashing against the earth as she sights her rifles and squeezes the trigger. The dark knight flickers with crimson light like a sparkler petering out, and the sounds of a rifle converting energy over and over are the only sounds in the air.

In that moment, Velvet doesn't see the Legionnaire before her or the desert around them. Instead there is the face of a young boy, sporting a boorish grin that is directed at her… and only her. Burnt orange hair cut short, dressed in some old armor with a bird emblazoned across his chest plate, but it's the piercing blues eyes that unsettle her. Like the eyes of a predator, she's too afraid to look away or run as others begin to flank him. They too were dressed in similar armor, and like the boy their eyes watch her tauntingly. The weapons they carried with them looked just as archaic and useless, but she wouldn't doubt their lethal nature in her suddenly exposed state. Somehow that wasn't what she was afraid of as they closed in, their hands pushing and pulling at her body; excruciating pain as limbs contort and bend at their whim. There is so much pain, but it's the burning sense within that becomes to unbearable. Velvet _knows_ she can fight them, have fought others like them once before over unfair pay or brazen insults. In this world, this godforsaken wasteland, it was surrender or survive and hell would freeze over before she lets anyone treat her that way. Not anymore…

So why couldn't she fight them back?

Their laughter fills her head, and her faces burns with something she would never admit to feeling to Eddie.

It was shame, embarrassment, and the bitter taste of self loathing that fills her mouth. She screamed out in defiance, but those four continued to torment her relentless.

Beyond them in the darkened abyss, she could see three other people.

They were two men and a woman whose vague faces brought both comfort and helplessness; waiting and watching. For what? Velvet wanted to cry out, reach for them, anything to gather their attention. The woman, standing in the middle, continued to watch behind dark shades and a black beret.

She didn't know how many times she's fired her gun, but when the haze begins to fade there is nothing left of the man's face. Her breath hitches, trying to cope with the sudden bout of exhaustion and creeping pain. For as helpful as Med-X was in stalling the pain, her body was beginning to grow resistant to it with the effect becoming shorter and shorter that comes after a bad trip. It was a familiar one with those seven faces, those four bastards, but she knew the other three were important somehow. Every time and every trip, they were somehow there; hovering around the edges of her high, but her mind couldn't recall or remember what they were to her. There would be another time to think it over, and she gives the body before her heavy stomp between the legs before stumbling away.

Weary eyes searched the darkness to where she last left Boon, raising a thumbs in hopes of sending him a signal. He may have been a complete asshole from the moment they started working together, but she would never doubt his skill. She quickly searched for Eddie, finding him dormant on the ground, and began to drag it toward the campfire. Velvet wished she could do something about the bot charging headlong into a firefight, because dragging his heavy chassis was doing a number on her tired joints.

"You two… okay…" she asked between breathes as she approached the captives. Her vision is blurred, but she can make out their shapes of their bodies. She sets Eddie down and does her best to unbind the wrists of the captured bodies, fingers fumbling unresponsively as the person before her begins to struggle. She grumbles in annoyance, doing her best to hold them still, but the struggling persists and she begins to notice that the body is pulling away from her fearfully. A few possibilities come to mind, one in particular being that they witnessed a drug enraged person attacking the camp with brutality and they were unsure if it was friend or foe. Velvet had been merciless on purpose, sparing no man of Caesar's Legion with the confidence that they would have never done the same. Yet the man's eyes before her were looking frantically behind her as he continued to edge away.

" _ **We'll always have your back Vel. Never forget that."**_

Her body ducks to the side, rolling away from the sudden edge of a spear that would have otherwise impaled her. She quickly rights herself up, drawing the broad machete from its sheath, and focusing as best as she can at the murky figure lunging at her. Her vision swirls with colors of light and dark, trying to orient and focus on the shape before her as she slashes forward. She can feel the blade in her hand knocked aside, missing its mark, and a sharp pain is felt slicing across her shoulder. Striking upward, the blade pushes off the shaft of the spear and lunges once more to the opposing form. It catches, but she can feel that the wound is shallow with how thin the contact was. She could hear the person grunt in frustration, signaling another attack that she used brace herself. Her hands bring up the blade to swing wildly, fending off each lunge of the spear with every step back.

" _ **Something's wrong, right? And you're hiding it from us,"**_ a man's voice asked. It was soft, almost a murmur, like he refused to speak any louder.

" _Not now_ ," her thoughts counter. Velvet couldn't allow the voices to distract her, pull her into a lulled state of complacency as her body screamed for rest. She swings the blade vertically, hoping to get him across the chest, but is met with the shaft of the spear.

" _ **Why do you allow them to torment you?"**_ A deeper voice filled with concerned. It towered over her protectively, like a shield; like a shadow.

She winches as another pain strikes her, a blunt force meeting her stomach while faster motions disarm her of her blade. Her cheek is met with a fist, firm and strong that sends her sprawling to the ground as the burning sensation settles in. Velvet tries to scramble back up as another fist meets with her face, a heavy weight crashing down upon her and pinning her form to the ground. Over and over her head is wracked with pain under the flurry of blows from the body above her. Each hit sends her further into a stunned and dazed state, her body beginning to give in to the fatigue as her adrenaline ebbs away.

"Those were my brothers you bitch!" Her head rocks once more upon another blow. "I will make sure their deaths are avenged, and that the rest of us see to that personally."

There is a slight pause, and she isn't sure whether or not she had passed out from the pain and overwhelming sensation to slip away. Hand begins to feel around her body, grasping and pulling away at her clothes and armor.

"Starting with me."

" _ **Never let them get to you. You will ALWAYS be better than whatever they wished they could be."**_

Velvet's body burns with a sudden burst of energy, fear filling every fiber like a cornered animal, and began to lash out in desperation. Fingers scraped against the man's mask and helmet, tearing them away and digging into the skin of his face. His struggles back, hitting her once more but is stopped altogether by her outstretched hands. Legs kick rampantly in hopes of bucking him off of her, but the man maintains his position while his hands wrap around her throat. The airways are suddenly cut off, influencing her panic to the extreme as Velvet's attempt to escape slowly starts to weaken. The pressure tightens and attempts to claw at his face prove futile; his arms much longer than hers. Her head rocks against the earth as the man begins to shake her violently, eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Velvet's fingers scrape against the hands around her neck weakly.

Her vision blurs.

All she could feel know is warm rush liquid fall upon her face as the body suddenly slumps heavily and inert. Air returns to her lungs, and each breath is needy and grating; hands pulling the now still corpse out of her. She wipes away at the blood, and standing against the darkened sky is Boone; wiping away the blood off of his machete.

"I warned you," his voice reminded gravely. "If you keep being this reckless, then there's no point working together. I'm out to hunt down the Legion, but I can't do that if you place us in danger."

Velvet says nothing, choosing instead to regain her breath and the small amount of rest she could gather laying on the earth. Of course he was right. She hated it, but he was right and her thoughts slowly became clearer. He knelt by her side, watching and waiting for her. While he never gloated about being right, she could sure as hell feel it even when he extended a hand to help her up. She took it begrudgingly, her body swaying a bit as her legs found footing strong enough to hold her. She continued to wipe away the rest of the blood as Boone turns his back to her, keeping an eye to the surrounding area.

"Fix yourself up quickly. We won't know if another patrol is headed our way."

Hands quickly fixed and adjusted her cloths and armor, thankful that he was decent enough to not stare or watch.

"Thanks," she mumbled. Gathering the rest of her things, the two of them walked back to the campfire where the captives remained. Looking over them both, they matched the descriptions of people Velvet once encountered before; blue uniformed rags resembling prison garb, and the familiar scent of gunpowder carries off of them. Powder Gangers; self acclaimed raiders of the Mojave causing for harm than necessary. Some outright attacked and raided, others simply keeping watch over whatever post the bigger fish commanded them too. The removed their gags, and upon release they whimpered and cowered before them.

"Please! Please don't kill us!" One of them cried. "We didn't kill anyone!"

"But you were at Nipton when the town was besieged. Even before then, the reputation served no one well," Velvet countered.

"We're just trying to survive," the other chimed in. "Me and him? We're no one special in the Gangers. They send us out to do everything from getting supplies and trade in Nipton without so much gun to keep the Geckos off us."

"You're both still convicted men, sent to the NCR Correctional Facility right? If the rumors are true, then you were part of the riots that overtook that place," Boone countered. "A guilty man is still guilty, even if they escape from the Legion."

Both men turned to face her, fear etched on their faces as they implored her to believe them. They scooted closer to Velvet, raising their bound hands in their plea.

"Please don't! We haven't raided or scouted anyone to attack. We just did what we were told because it's either that or starve and lose the only place that's safe anymore. Please!"

She looks over to her partner who shook his head in indifference. He was only after the Legion, and everyone else was left to their devices. The man ultimately left the decision to her and moved to inspect the rest of the tents. Her eyes looked over each of them equally, gauging to see if there was any hint of deception behind their words. When she brought her laser rifle to her hands, the flinched and began to scoot away. They could be lying, trying to play into her sympathies and hide whatever cruel crimes behind false tears. If she lets them both go, she was invariably responsible for the lives of innocents if they decide to turn on them. Killing them now would save others from future troubles if she allowed the Gangers to regroup and gather numbers.

Velvet pulls up the rifle to eye level, aiming the sightless gun as best she could at their vulnerable forms. One of the men bowed their heads in fear, refusing to look at his imminent death. The other stared at her, defiant and pleading, but he never broke away from her gaze. At this distance, she couldn't miss.

She squeezes the trigger four times, two for each of them.

They trembled in fear as the energized beams hit the dirt behind them, surprised and shocked that they remained alive. Shouldering her weapon, she cuts away at their bindings and helps both men to their feet.

"No one survived this ambush," she stated clearly. "Whoever you two were before this attack **died** when the camp was razed to the ground. Whatever past you carry is **left here** **for good**. You have new names, new lives, and a clean slate. Remember this if you ever _think_ of harming another person again."

They nodded quickly, sputtering whatever thanks or gratitude they could muster to their savior. Velvet shook it off and ordered them to search the rest of the camp and gather whatever was valuable or usable for trade.

It was a reminder not for them, but for her. Like them, she was just another person trying to survive as best as she could until they were suddenly drawn into something out of their power. She didn't have a choice in the matter when her hands were bound, and she stared at the barrel of gun that should have killed her. She would right that mistake in due time. The four of them gathered everything that carried a sliver of value, even taking the armor of the fallen Legion to be repurposed as something else. They moved everything a safe distance a way, and both Velvet and Boone overlooked the empty raiding camp. She had since used a stimpak to tide the pain over, and applied some medicinal powders over the wounds to prevent infection. She would need a doctor to tend to her later, and hope that none of the lead were still stuck in side her.

"If any of them come here, they're going to start asking questions," the sniper reminded them.

"I know."

"And if they start sending them to Novac…"

"We know a troop of NCR agents patrol the lands around here. We let them know, they bring their rounds closer to town, and we bolster whatever defense we can."

He let the thought sink quietly as Velvet lights her bundled stick of dynamites and a few other "gifts" as well.

"We could have used the campfire to set the place on fire. What you're doing right now… isn't it a bit much?"

She throws the dynamite toward the largest tent, and the rest of the firebombs at the others. There is a large sound of explosion as the tent that once carried crates and barrels of supplies blows outward while the rest of the camp begins to catch fire. She holds the last bottle in hands, swirling the flammable contents inside as she stares at the pile of bodies in the middle of camp. Velvet aims carefully and lets the bottle fly, hearing the impact of broken glass and gaseous ignition spread across the corpses.

"It's a message," she answers.

"For who?"

"For me. For you. For them. For anyone."

"And what does it say?"

"No more."

* * *

Coco jolts awake as a hand gently rest on her shoulder.

Her body aches greatly having to sleep in a chair beside her teammate, and she rubs away the tireless sleep from her eyes. The young woman had long put away her usual accoutrements, placing her shades and beret at a bedside table. Tired eyes searched for the nearby clock, finding the time to be very early morning. Following the hand, she turns to find a familiar face towering over her wearing a similar concerned and troubled expression.

"Hey Yatsu," she yawned. "Everything okay back at the dorm."

"As best as it can be," he answers solemnly. "Fox is asleep, but it doesn't look restful."

"I'm beginning to feel the same." She stretches, working away the kinks and sore spots at her body when the hand on her shoulder squeezes gently.

"I'll watch over her."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

Coco hesitated, wanting to defend her place at Velvet's side, but she could see the eagerness the taller man's gaze. He too hadn't slept well, and it had shown with how his shoulders slumped wearily and his eyes shifted between and his partner. With a sigh, she relented and stood; gathering her stuff in the process. Yatsuhashi moved to take her seat, careful to not cause too much noise and bother the still comatose girl; as if it still meant something.

"Did Ozpin learn anything knew?"

"Not from what he last told us."

Unconsciously, Coco's hand went to her scroll where her headmaster had sent their findings of the accident. It was apparently dust based, having been overcharged or overpowered with whatever technological monstrosity her teammate, Ruby, and Nora had concocted together. She and the other teams had gone over the makeshift blue prints the three girls formed together, but it didn't explain why their friends were in such a state. At most, explosions were concussive by nature; only lethal dependant on the sort of dust they used. Event then the damage _should_ have been manageable with their aura up and protecting them form the initial blast.

But it didn't explain why none of the girls have woken up.

At best, Ruby and Nora reacted in their state of deep sleep; calling out to their teams or at least showing signs of being okay. It made Coco somewhat envious that the other two teams at least had some assurance that Ruby and Nora were okay while Velvet… She looked over to her teammate once more before patting the large man reassuringly on the back.

"She'll wake up. Vel's tough like that."

Coco wasn't even sure if her words helped him, or if it even helped her.

"I know," he answered simply. "Go now. Sleep in your bed for once, and I'll let you and Fox know if something changes."

She nods in confirmation and slowly leaves the room, still conscious and careful not to be to noise n her exit. Her tired feet carry her down the ward and past the different rooms of the infirmary. Nurses pass her in their rounds, but her own thoughts are occupied by her teammate. Questions that haven't been answered or fully addressed, and the thing she's learned from Ozpin and the teams…

Of course she was being bullied. Most faunus that attended academies like Beacon would be, but she and the rest of team had done their damnedest to make sure to stop it as best they could. Her fist curls tightly with the surmounting anger that someone like Winchester would so bravely pick on _her friend_ , **_her sister_** in arms. What hurt the most though was that Velvet would continue to put up with it all. That she would willing take the bullying, the jeers, the remarks because she refused to place their team in any sort of trouble. Hell, it would have been easy to put a greenhorn like Cardin in his place and remind the arrogant little pissant that he was a year younger and weaker than them. They had seen Velvet hold her own against plenty of Grimm that would have made little work of the bully. So why didn't she fight back? Why didn't she come to them when they were willing to fight for her?

And why would she go to Ruby and Nora?

Her ears catch a sound, stopping her in her path in front of another familiar door.

Nora's room.

Through the glass placed slip in the door, she saw the back of Lie Ren facing her as he stayed watching over her. The door was left oddly ajar, striking it unusual from how she heard Jaune and Pyrrha describe the boy's disposition. He was quiet, hardly answering his team and choosing to have his privacy with Nora in her current state. It must have been a nurse or that he forgot to ensure the room was private, but she could hear the sounds of muffled sobs. Moving closer, she found that he had taken the bubbly girl's hand, placing it carefully in his own.

"I'm here Nora… I'm here…" was all she heard before moving away.

It wasn't her place to console him, even if she knew the poor boy's suffering.

Coco made the long journey back to their dorm, unlocking the door with her Scroll and stepping inside. The room was dimly let with a lamp in the corner of the room turned low.

"You're back," a tired and quiet voice greeted her.

Naturally, her eyes went over to Fox's bed but found it empty. Looking to her side of the room, copper colored hair lifted up to look in her direction as sightless eyes squinted in worry.

"I am," she answered.

"And is she okay? Vel?"

"Still sleeping, like always."

Sleeping. A word providing a small and thinly veiled comfort to their thoughts.

"Okay… okay…" He rested his head back onto Velvet's pillow, draping an arm over his eyes. Coco noticed that he had yet to dress out of his uniform, and steadily began to remove her own. Dressing into her usual sleepwear, she climbed into her teammate's bed and brought him closer to her. She didn't want to sleep alone tonight, and she could tell that Fox felt the same way. Arms wrapped around his waist tightly, afraid to let him go.

"You're shaking."

"And you're awake."

"I know."

The room returns to quiet as their breathing steadies. Each inhale brought a familiar scent from the pillows and sheets, and with it a cheery smile that had been so long since last seen.

"She'll be fine," Coco spoke suddenly.

"You're worrying."

"She'll wake up soon."

" _Coco_."

She stops as Fox's arms encircle her as well, matching the tightness of her own hold.

"Sleep. We need rest for the classes today."

"And she'll be awake tomorrow for sure."

"She will."

They were words that she spoke every time before she slept, like a wish or mantra that would come true if she said them enough times. A hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand times if it meant that their closest friends would finally hear them. Even if the following morning showed that Velvet remained asleep, Coco would recite those words.

 _She will._

 _She will._

 _She will._


	3. Teaser 3 The Sole Survivor

She didn't know how long she's watched him sleep, only that she could watch him forever in that peaceful slumber. The way his face would scrunch up every now, how he would move about in his sleep, and he looked so removed from the world around him. It made her a little envious with how easy he could dream without knowing what she knew, the sweet innocence of it all that she wished could be preserved forever. She gently brushed away the locks of dark hair from his face, and smiled when he fussed under her touch.

"Nora."

Her eyes closed as her smile grew wider.

"Are you really going to watch him all night?"

She knew the sort of expression her husband wore without having to try. He would feign jealousy, wearing a playfully indifferent mask while trying to coax her away from their son for the third time today. It wasn't _her_ fault that she could spend hours just watching him, forgetting time altogether as she mothered and cared for her baby. He was an absolute cutie, just like his father when they were much younger. And like his father, she knew her boy would grow up to be a handsome young man too. If anything, it was _someone else's_ fault for giving her such healthy and adorable boy.

"I can't help it," she cooed. "I mean, just look at his chubby little cheeks. All I want to do now is gobble him up and love him."

"You can't have your cake and eat it too," he reminded.

"Unless you bake me another one. That way I'll have four times the amount of cute kids.

Nora spun around on her heels, folding her hands behind her back with the biggest grin she could muster. His hair was starting to grow back out, though it would be some time before it was a long as she remembered it to be. His body seemed to fill out a bit as well, and she assumed that basic training and his tour to Anchorage made him stronger; the muscles of his arms, shoulders, and chest bearing old scars as a testament to that. Her eyes, though, were drawn to his face and she studied it privately.

A part of her was awed by how much he changed, no longer the teary eyed boy she met at primary school those years ago. They had been stuck together since then, constantly bringing him home with her for the many dinners at her and Gran's place. There were also the times in high school where she would quickly copy his notes after she fell asleep in class, leaving poor old him to carry the academic weight for them both. She remembered their first jobs working at a drive in movie Cineplex that was short lived because snacks and candies would mysteriously disappear. He had taken the fall for it, even when she was nursing a horrible cavity beside him as the manager yelled at them both for their incompetence.

There was also the time at prom when they went together, having failed at finding their own dates. No one wanted her because she carried as much grace as jock, and he had been turned down for reasons that would later anger her. They braved the jeers and murmurs passed around by their peers about her "yellow" date. No one ever expected her to spit forth a flurry of swears, but it was enough to get them kicked out; waving rude gestures as he pulled her away from the other prom goers. The rest of the night resulted in procuring warm beer and getting drunk in Gran's basement while she was out playing cards with the other ladies. They had spent many years turning that place into their own private game room, and it was there where in a drunken haze she had kissed him; their first kiss. It was the night of a poorly timed confession, one that she had secretly planned to draw out from him by going out with someone else. At time it made sense, and when she had realized what she had done, she had tried to take it all back.

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) enough, he returned those feelings with other "firsts" they shared that night.

He had also been there when Nora buried the only family she had left. She believed that everything would have remained the same, and that the good times would stay. The university she applied to accepted her application, she had her best friend and boyfriend, and Gran… The woman who cared for her for as long as she could remember died peacefully in her sleep. Even the day she was buried was sunny, hardly a cloud in that blue sky, but the storms in her heart were quieted by his embrace. It had taken her some time to adjust, and when things began to pick up again… he decided to leave.

It was one of the only fights she remembered that didn't end well.

He had been rejected from the same university she had applied to for having "questionable citizenship". Leave it to the good ol' US of A to turn down one of the smartest people she knew for some inane communist scare? He even had trouble applying for work over how he looked, and it made her so angry. Angry at her town for doubting someone they had seen grown up alongside her. Angry at the school for not taking into account his birth and the orphanage that watched over him until Gran became his legal guardian. She was angry that people still acted like they were in high school, staring dismissively or suspiciously at him while knowing shit all.

Yet that fury was more focused on him when he came forward about the recruitment; a chance to prove himself as being on "their" side during the widespread fear of Communist insurgents. She hated that he would have to prove anything, but for all of the reasons she tried to give him to stay, he wouldn't budge on the issue. So she went off to study law, and he to join the ranks to stop the sudden invasion at Alaska.

He had still sent her letters during his tour, though it hurt her having to read his "American" name written on those envelopes. He recounted her with the similar instances of suspicion and hazing by the other privates, but the two who would later become his friends became familiar names in each letter. He would write about everything he could; what he's seen, what he's experienced, how he missed her…

Nora wrote back when she could, and it was the only thing that would keep her motivated to finishing her studies. She had passed on a fair amount of invitations from friends and those who tried to win her affections. Instead, she would spend her evenings talking walks on her own, or listeninh to the radio carefully for any update at Anchorage effort to push back the invading forces. She made it a habit to keep up to date on his well-being, even if they still danced around their firm stance on their decisions. Eventually, they came to an agreement when his letters stopped coming in. She was frantic with worry, losing sleep over any imminent news on that may come her way. She dreaded the thought of having the news broken to her by complete strangers, and when they finally came to let her know he was fine… Nora was sure she had broken every traffic law possible on her way to the recovery ward. She brushed past men and women in uniform, hospital and military, to find him and there he was. Sleeping with a grimace and a bandage on his face while a blonde haired man talked away deliriously (possibly due to the Med-X they must have used).

Hours passed as she waited for him to wake, learning what she could from the nurses and the medical reports. Her best friend had been fine, and only earned the injuries from his face from a wandering and startled bear. She almost wanted to laugh from what other men began to call him; their "Brother Bear". And Nora certainly did when he final woke, asking her (of all people) if he died and if she was real. She hated that he was hurt, but she found herself loving him more and that dopey and sleepy state.

After she had finally met this Jaune (an admittedly lanky, but cute "Ameri-Frenchie") and Cpt. Nikos (surprised to see it was a woman no less) from the letters, and when he was well enough to be discharged, Nora decided she wouldn't lose any more family. Her proposal was more of a demand, shouted at the top of her lungs no less, and in the presence of those who frequented their favorite park on a Saturday. He would have no choice but to accept her or face her fury for the rest of their days.

Their "celebration" resulted in one of the best nine month investment they could ever have. She only wished that she could have a photo how her husband looked when he held his son for the first time.

Now, she saw how his expression changed quickly from a surprise to a smirk. Nora was aware that he knew how this game was played, and the way he straightened up was cute. It reminded her of a puppy becoming excited, and if he had a tail it would certainly be wagging in attention.

"Is that an invitation?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she countered. Sauntering up to him, she placed her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around his neck. They kissed, a chaste one, before pulling apart and simply taking each other in. He was still a head taller than her, but she liked having to look up at him in his embrace. It made her feel safe, and at home in his arms.

"I would," he answered, "but spending time with you is enough. Walk with me?"

She hesitated, but didn't want to turn back to look at her son. It had become second nature to look for him.

"He'll be fine hon," her husband reminded. "Codsworth is here if he needs anything. That's why we go him in the first place, remember?"

"I know, it's just…"

"Shaun's going to have a hard time if is mother keeps hovering around him. It'll ruin his chances of finding friends, maybe a nice girl, if you keep him so close by."

"I do not hover!"

Her hushed rebuttal was met with an unconvinced look.

"Last I checked my feet still follow the rules of gravity."

"And hopefully they'll follow me along for a walk around the neighborhood."

He kissed her cheek, pulling her gently along down the hallway, past their open living room, and toward the front door.

"Going for a stroll Codsworth. Look after Shaun while we're gone?" he called to the Handy Bot currently washing their dishes.

"Of course sir!" the butler answers enthusiastically. "My watch will be vigilant, and he will not be in want of anything. At least until he requires either your paternal or maternal attentions."

"Thank you for that. We won't be long."

Nora still found herself hesitant to go, even when the door to their home closed behind them. She watched as he pocketed their keys, giving her a small smile as he offered an arm to her. Shaun would be fine, and nothing bad would happen in their brief absence. She would trust Codsworth, and she would trust her husband on that. When she slipped her arm into his, the confidence returned as they began to walk slowly down their sidewalk.

Homes were slowly being decorated for the oncoming Halloween, and they were close to finishing up Shaun's costume. There were a few invitations to parties they agreed to, and she was set on making sure her son outshone the other cute babies. They passed by a few neighbors, exchanging small talk about the flower gardens, a few baseball games, Shaun, and the hope for the war's end. Even when she noticed that some of their eyes looked quickly over to her husband, she knew that he pretended to not notices. He would do his best to maintain the presence of "Nate and Nora Valkyrie" and humor their small suspicions by being a good neighbor to hem. They rounded toward the polished wood bridge that would take them into Concord, and he directed to a small park where future children (and theirs) would come to play.

"Ren?" she asked as they approached the swings.

The muscles in his arm tensed slightly, but she already knew that his birth name still bothered him after all these years.

"Nora, we talked about this."

"I know! But that's only when other people are around."

"Someone might hear, and we're not at home."

"This _is_ our home," she reminded _**him**_. "When we were looking for a place to settle down, we decided this would be the place. You shouldn't feel afraid."

"I'm just trying to be considerate and not scare our neighbors, or have them suspect anything where nothing exists." His voice sounded troubled like the many times they talked about this.

"If they don't trust you after the many times you've helped them, then screw 'em."

"Nora!"

It was a simple answer that was chided with a stern look. She huffed defiantly, and moving over to the swing set and took a seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that he ran a hand over his face, but moved to sit in the swing beside her nonetheless.

"I'm just saying that you should have earned their trust already. You're a recognized veteran, and proven yourself with what you did in Alaska. That should be enough, even if you keep lending our lawnmower to the neighbors who keep forgetting to return them on time."

"And _I'm_ saying that it still isn't enough for some people. If they start to fear that I'm something I'm not, you and Shaun will be at risk as well. I joined the army to prove a point and to protect you two while doing so."

"That's not fair to you…"

"I know, but I'm doing it for you and for him. I have to be 'Nate Lively', the man who married Nora Valkyrie; Sanctuary's infamous troublemaker."

"All of these allegations tonight," she cried out dramatically. "I'll remind you that I do, in fact, have a law degree."

"Fourth of July?"

"Using goat cheese as a substitute for the casserole isn't as bad as everyone believes."

"Easter?"

"The man in the bunny suit took me by surprise. As far as garden parties go, no person should dress themselves up as an animal even for a child."

"You fractured his arm."

"I was _**really**_ surprised."

"Alright then… What about Valentine's Day?"

At this, Nora looks at any direction that isn't toward his. Even as the night grew, she was sure that he could see the red on her face and would spare herself the cheeky look he was so good at giving.

"I _told_ you," she spoke in a low tone, "to let me 'clean' up the leftover syrup. Our neighbors never come by for anything too important, but you just had to answer the door with maple seeping through your shirt. The other ladies wouldn't let me live it down for weeks."

"Same with the guys, but I think we started a trend among our small community here."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

She turned to him, and rather than see him retreat over cheering her up… he simply smiled as he kicked off the ground, pushing the swing back and forth. Nora knew the sort of smile it was, only reserved for secrets and private jokes between them.

"Who?" she insisted.

"The Whitfields."

"Liar!" she hushed/exclaimed. He nodded his head in confirmation, raising a hand to swear by the honor of all boy scouts. After studying him for a bit, she began to kick off at the dirt as well.

"How?"

"Ice cream."

"Ice cream?"

"Mm-hmm."

"But isn't that really cold?" It was a puzzling thought, one that added to the chill she felt with another passing of an evening breeze.

"Not unless you eat it fast enough."

"Eat?—!" Green blue eyes grew wide when the thoughts clicked together. "What flavor?"

"Neapolitan," he answers.

Hands shot up to her cheek, hardly restraining the glee and excitement over the newly learned gossip.

"Scandalous~!"

"More so than syrup?"

He felt a playful smack on his shoulder, overplayed by the sound of her muffled laughter. Through it all, she didn't remove her hand from him. Instead, she stood and moved to sit on his lap and privately remarking how much he'd grown taller over the years. His arms naturally encircled her waist, and she could feel him resting his chin on her shoulder. They shared a collective sigh, taking in the early night as she spoke once more.

"To them, and probably everyone else, you are Nate Lively and Nate Valkyrie. If you feel that you _have_ to be that man, then I'll believe in you."

Nora turns to face him, shifting in his lap, and finding his deep green eyes watching her.

"But to _**me**_ and our _**son**_ , you will never stop being Lie Ren. That name belongs to the boy who shared his very small lunch with me in grade school when I was stupid enough to forget my own every other time. You even gave me the bigger share."

She gives a small laugh at the thought, knowing it was certainly the moment that sealed their initial friendship. Gran had scolded her so much then, and Nora made sure to make up for it tenfold over the time she began to know him.

"It's the name of a young man who put up with every scheme and adventure I ever thought up of, even when he knew better."

Fingers run through his hair, and she loved how it felt when she combed it aside from his face.

"On paper, I am happily married to 'Nate Valkyrie', but my heart belongs to 'Lie Ren' without a doubt; my best friend, my partner in crime, my love. For you, that name is a reminder of things that you want to forget, of a family you never knew. For me, it's the name of someone that became a part of my life and I can't for the life of me find myself living without. I hope you know that your name, your _**real**_ name, is important to me as it is to you."

Her hands cup his face gently.

"I love you Ren. Trust in that."

Her eyes close and her lips find their way to his. Ren eases into the kiss, tenderly returning the amount of affection he is continually given since meeting her. His hold pulls her closer, and he can't help but smile in her presence. She hums in delight, pulling slightly back to gaze at one another.

"I do," he whispers. Two words that couldn't have made her happier to hear again.

"Good," she answers. Nora kisses him once more, and begins to pull him along. "Now let's head home. I believe that my baby calls for me, even in his sleep. My instincts say as such."

"Grognak?"

" _Jungle of the Bat Babies_ hun. A pretty good issue that even Jaune may like."

"I'll be sure to lend him your comics if he ever stops by."

Ren follows after her, and together they take their time walking back home in companionable silence. With their fingers interlaced with one another, Nora could only bask in comfort that he carried about him. While he may have looked a bit scrawny growing up, not once did she ever feel that something could threaten or harm her. The quiet way he carried himself was like a shield, a protective aura that always made her feel secure around him. They were coming upon their home when another thought crossed her mind; business as usual.

"You know," she began, "there were many chances that you could have walked away. I know I'm not the ' _girlish of girls,'_ and I certainly wasn't the easiest to get to know, but you could have found someone else."

"Is that so?"

"Mhmm. I mean, guys like a _woman_ right?"

"Some do."

"And the ones that do like women want their ideal gal to be a bit classy, dainty, someone who really gets their motors going and spend a portion of puberty behind locked doors with magazines."

"I keep telling you that the doorknob was broken by a certain _someone_ , and I was stuck in my room for those hours. The magazines were just a coincidence."

" _ **Anyways**_ , what I'm trying to say Ren is that you could have met anyone else. We would still be the best of friends, but you could have been _married_ to anyone else."

"And you're wondering why I've chosen you in spite of everything we've been through?"

They stopped at their door, and Ren had already fished their keys from his pocket when he turned to look at her. It wasn't a line of thinking foreign to them, and Nora knew that her thoughts ran wild (her mouth even wilder), but she always spoke them aloud and candidly. She trusted him to be as honest with her as she was to him. So it surprised her when he had pulled her close, lips above her ears when he spoke.

"Because if I _didn't_ , then who would be my _'queen'_?"

Electricity coursed down her back, eliciting a shiver she couldn't hide. Nora cursed him for pulling that card, and she almost half-regretted having one of her fantasies indulged; a tyrannical queen seeking a suitor who could match her tenacity. That was a honeymoon she couldn't forget (or that the hotel staff couldn't forgive) even if she tried, and she pulled back to find that same smoldering look he wore. The way his eyes narrow slightly, but with the guile of a fox. Her breathing hitches slightly, but it was something she found herself being pulled towards. Ren kisses her gently on her forehead, and turns to open their door.

Their home remained undisturbed, which was a relief to her. Codsworth already finished the dishes, and the quiet air about the home had told them that Shaun remained asleep and undisturbed. Yet Nora couldn't shake the strange feeling that something felt off. It had been a gut reaction that she had once proudly claimed to never be wrong, but that was before the war began and before she and Ren started their family. She looked about the open living room and dining/kitchen space area to find that everything about their home was _too_ quiet. She couldn't hear the small hum of thrusters that followed with her robotic butler, and they were sure they had refueled his reserves already.

"I'll check the bedroom and Shaun," Ren answers without being asked. "Just take a peek outside and see if he's out there. It might be an error in his subroutine or something, but just to be safe."

She nods and begins to move toward the door leading to the park space and out back, hearing his footsteps move down the hall in the opposite direction. The night is still as cold as it was a few moments ago, but her skin crawled with a chill that left her feeling doubtful and unsure. Even when she stepped out into the darkness, she couldn't shake that sense of fear that began to grow as she called for their missing butler. Nora was met with silence, and she stepped further into the backyard in hopes of finding anything to ease the tension in heart. She had yet to hear anything from Ren, but she had to make sure.

Her eyes squinted through the partially moonlit darkness, searching around until they found a familiar form resting upon the grass.

"Codsworth honey?"

She had found him, but why didn't it bring the anticipated relief? More so, why was he outside of all places when they asked him to watch over Shaun? Nora approaches slowly, her hand extending out as the moonlit grew brighter with the parting clouds. What was once a polished sheen of a metallic body was now rusted and worn; as if he had been weathered through so much time. She recoiled away from it as the wind began to pick up, obscuring her sight as she backed away. Something was clearly wrong and she ran to the house, calling for Ren as she loud as she could.

Nora ran past the remains of what was once her kitchen and living room; a state of structural ruin where decay had eaten away at the walls and furniture that were once pristine. She moved past the empty bathroom and laundry room that shared a similar look of neglect; pristine instruments and machines now resting inert disuse. The hallway toward the bedrooms grew longer and longer, her voice failing to catch Ren's attention as she pushed herself down the infinite path.

There were voices exchanged up ahead, angry and defiant against a calm, but threatening tone. Her child's cry echoed so loudly in her thoughts, the urgency to protect what was hers so prominent and deafening that she could the beating of her own heart. Nora had been able to push past unforeseen obstacle, grabbing the handle of her son's door when the sound of gunfire rang.

She looked up, horrified to see through the glass in the door Ren's body slumping back into the pod he woke from. Figures dressed in white suits, as if to keep whatever inhabitants sterile, tended to her crying son as they began to walk away. Her fists slam on the door, fervently trying to pry it open as they disappeared into the dark abyss. She cried after them, demanding and screaming for them to return her son to him; to answer for her husband's death. Even when the air grew so cold around her, Nora struck at the door with her fists in hopes that it would open.

Even when _**he**_ stepped in front of the glass to look at her.

" _At least we still have the backup…"_

Whoever this man, she had burned his image into her mind. She would remember the scar, the look of indifference in his face, and those empty eyes that stared at her own; even with the alleged gun in hand. Even when her vision turns to go white, Nora would remember every bit of anguish and fury as the world around her shook and crumbled away into nothing.

She would find this man.

"Lady? Lady, you gotta wake up!"

And when she did…

"Oh crap… Piper!"

She would draw it out as long as she could.

"Easy there Blue, easy—whoa!"

She would break him in any way she could think of in order to get back her son.

"You need to… wake up now… Can't have you… hurting yourself now!"

As for the rest?

"She's not letting it go!"

Well, she would have to play it by ear.

"Doing the best I can here Nat. Give me some space here, and…"

Nora jolts awake, a hand reaching up instinctually to her cheek as her eyes search about the room wildly. The pain of the hit stung her cheek, and the place looked unfamiliar; ram shackled together in an attempt to resemble something of a home. She found that she wasn't alone either, and in the presence of a young woman and a younger girl; both dressed for sleep but watching her warily. The girl was holding the hammer end of Nora's weapon, doing her best to carry the heavier part of the sledgehammer while the handle was gripped tightly in her own hand. The woman kept a careful hand on Nora's shoulder, looking at her apologetically while keeping her firmly placed on the couch she slept on.

"Good to know you're awake now. Do you… still remember where you are?"

Traces of the dream began to fade, but the man's face remained clear as day. She would have chosen not to wake up if it meant that her 200 year sleep never happened, and that the bombs never fell when they did. She wouldn't need to go on a manhunt for her husband's killer, and she wouldn't have to find her still missing son. It had been a waking nightmare since leaving the vault; days spent in a listless and dazed state while searching aimlessly. She didn't know how she survived her sudden arrival to a place called Goodneighbor, a town she recently learned was the most dangerous to traverse to. Even its denizens were vague forms to her as she asked around, finding her only clue inside the Memory Den.

It was how her dreams remained vivid after so long, having to explore her own memories to find any sort of explanation. Nora relived that moment over and over, trapped within the cryogenic pod to watch Ren die and die again. She had to look for a man with a scar, and as vague as it was she was directed to Diamond City in search for answers. It was where she found another thriving settlement in Boston, a bastion of commerce and caps for traders and residents alike; both under fear of some so called "Institute."

It was also how she came to know the company of the oddly zealous Piper Wright, notorious reporter in the Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth. In spite of their initial meeting and first impression, the woman was a lot like Nora in ways that made her… homesick.

"Yeah," she finally answers. "I'm sorry about worrying you two. This… sometimes happens."

"It's alright. No harm no foul right?"

Nora turns her gaze to Nat who doesn't appear to share the same sentiment as her older sister. The young girl slowly releases her hold of the weapon, and steps just out of reach in case that another dream induced panic attack; leaving Nora to reconsider the offer to stay the night. If anything, participating in the interview for a night of sleep was something she should have turned down. Maybe she wouldn't have had that dream for once, even if it meant sleeping in the usual ruins of former cities and homes.

"If it's too much trouble, I can just leave," she spoke. "I got enough rest in anyways, and I can start the search for whoever this Valentine guy is."

She made to move as Piper guided her back down to the couch.

"Hey now, don't be like that. It hasn't even been four hours, and you want to leave now?"

"A head start is better than nothing. The sooner I find him, the quicker I can find my son."

Nora moved to sit up in spite of her body's aching protest, wincing and gritting back the groans of constantly travelling. Even when she stretched and popped the joints in sorer spots, Piper looked unconvinced. Admittedly, she didn't think much of woman who had helped her back into Diamond City. Sure she was able to convince an otherwise tight lipped and uncooperative mayor, but other than that she looked like any other scavver or tourist. That was before she noticed the woman asking around for information, her method completely odd for someone who dressed like she belonged. Then she put two and two together, and then that good old reporter intuition kicks in.

Most of her offers for an interview turned out to be a wash, but she had a good feeling about this Nora Valkyrie character; name and all. So when the woman walked in and agreed to the article, Piper found herself a newsprint of the century.

The Woman Out of Time; awake after 200 hundred years cryogenic sleep to see the world long after its destruction. Her response and reaction is candidly honest in spite of the obvious signs of discomfort and aversion of the general inquiry. This was a person whose lens of the world gone by could be the thing that pushes back the comfortable complacency in Diamond City and hopefully beyond. Nora would be the reminder of perseverance and hope to continue living day by day, and her motto of "keep moving forward" should inspire enough people to change something.

In return for being that symbol, Piper would fulfill her offer to accompany her to find Nick and Nora's kidnapped son. It was the least she could do, and in a way she could empathize with a need to find family. If anything were to happen to her sister, or if she were to disappear, Piper would raise all sorts of hell just to find her. She considered Nora a woman after her own heart.

She nodded for Nat to head upstairs to the makeshift second floor that was "her room".

"We'll switch for the night, so go sleep in my space. And you better not be going through my notes and editing them _again_ , or so help me I'll make sure you take extra classes from school. "

"You can't do that!" the young girl protested.

"Considering the amount of detentions you've been getting lately, they might not be opposed to it. I'll even ask them to give you science reports if it helps set you straight."

"Coming from you, who doesn't even like the science-y stuff?"

"I get to pick and choose them. Now come on, and get to it. Don't need you falling asleep in class."

Nat sent her a soured look, trudging off slowly to sulk.

"Hey Nat."

The young girl turns to see Nora rummaging through her bag, pushing aside unseen contents in search for something before it's suddenly throw to her general direction. She's quick to catch them in her arms, and finds the familiar textures and smells of paperback covers. In her possession were a variety of magazines that she had always heard of, but never seen for herself. Some were definitely published before the bombs fell, giving them a desired antiquity, and others seemed to be written by others across the postwar U.S.; having tips and advice about farming, hunting, bartering and trade. There were a few Grognak Comics that she was sure no longer existed, and even some RobCo Fun issues with the game still intact. To many non-bibliophiles it didn't seem like much, but Nat had an eye for something worthwhile, even valuable as far as caps were concerned.

This was information that no one else (probably) had, and it would help to know these things if she wanted to keep _Publick Occurrences_ afloat. Readership would definitely go up if they started adding columns that appeased all sort of people, a jack of all trades to change everyone's waning opinion on her and Piper. The budding journalist inside her was simply thrilled to have this much content to work with, and her sister did promise to show her the ropes when she was old enough. But a different part of her, the one where she was still a kid, couldn't keep her eyes off the comics and VERY rare games. She was thankful that Piper was able to haggle and bargain the hell out of the computer in their home from that caravan trader, finding an opportune moment to see what a "holo-game" was like way back when.

Her head snaps up to the woman who she wasn't so sure of, considering the mumbling and weird movement in her sleep almost Synth-worthy, but Nat didn't know what to make of the gesture. She looked to Piper for an explanation, and the older sister could only shrug; just as uncertain about it as she was.

"I don't have much need for them," Nora explained, "but think of it as an incentive to keep up with school and stay sharper about the words. If you do well and keep out of trouble, I'll come back with more of anything else I find. Deal?"

"DEAL!" the young girl blurted before clamoring up the stairs. There was the tell-tale sound a weight landing on a mattress, as well as a few pages turning excitedly in the dim lighting of the additional room.

"Mayor McDonough _**and**_ my sister? If I didn't know any better, I would start to think I was out of a job," Piper remarked. She didn't expect Nat to fall asleep now, but she would eventually tire out from the excitement.

"Believe me when I say that I'm not very good with people," Nora replied. "If anything, it was Ren who… was the more patient of us two. He was always better with other people's kids, and I guess I picked up a thing or two."

An unconscious hand went over her stomach as the words were spoken, and it was a gesture that didn't go unnoticed. Nevertheless, Piper was graceful enough to not prod into particularly sensitive matters that her profession depended her to do in most **other** cases.

"It's still impressive. Maybe _I'll_ learn a few things when I come along; even grab a story or two that I can print when we get back."

"Quid pro quo, huh?"

"Geez Blue, of all times to be a lawyer…"

And for the first time since her arrival, Nora chuckled earnestly. She couldn't explain why, but the joke somehow made her feel slightly better. The dip of the sarcasm with a hint worry of whether or not the implications was true. It quickly waved away as she leaned back against the couch, joined shortly after by her host.

"Really though," Piper began, "if you're having trouble sleeping, we can just talk until you doze off. It's one thing to get a head start, but it another danger entirely if you're half-awake when trouble comes around. I know Nick enough to be certain he'll be fine for another day."

"If you're sure…"

So they talked.

They exchanged stories, more Nora to Piper than vice versa, but it was nice to have an exchange with someone whose eyes didn't instill a sense of defensive spark or unwarranted vitriol within her. The normalcy of their conversation felt fluid, as if Nora didn't have to try or force herself to feel what she couldn't. With those survivors she helped at Concord, Preston and his group, she couldn't bear to stay around much longer. The Minuteman meant well, and she had helped out as much as she could, but Nora forced herself to leave. She couldn't stay in what was once her family's home without them, and had left Codsworth to assist in whatever else they would need. She couldn't stay knowing that somewhere out there her son was being held captive.

Her last parting gift was helping the Quincy survivors erect some sort of signal tower for those who wandered, and were in need of some respite. The empty homes of former neighbors would be able to provide housing, or maybe even a structural front for those who wished to set up shop. They could even make Sanctuary live up to its name for all she cared.

All that she asked of them was to leave _**her**_ home untouched.

If there was even a chance that she found Shaun, Nora would need something to come back to. Just like she reminded Ren those centuries ago, it became her resolve to fulfill.

Whatever family she had left, she would bring them **home**.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming at such an hour," the headmaster addressed all three weary teams. Ozpin noticed that even in the dark hours of the evening, their dedication and loyalty to their infirmed friends did not stop them from coming hastily. He was prouder still for those who were still able to keep up with their academics, and shoulder the responsibilities of those whose focus and worry still remained. His eyes glanced over to Yang Xiao Long and Lie Ren, their eyes watching him sharply in hopes of any good news. There was hardly any effort to try and remain composed, but he understood the desperation behind those eyes. As for the members of Team CFVY, they were as collected as usual though he did not doubt that Coco Adel hid the same expression of concern behind those darkened shades.

To his side stood the ever vigilant Glynda Goodwitch, knowing that she had seen much worse in their time working together. There were many time where news of death and heartache had to be passed on to students and family alike, and she had always worn that same unyielding expression of objective concern. Not once did any leave so much as a mark on the walls she maintained to keep her from feeling anything too personal with students new and graduating. Still, Ozpin could see beyond those walls a sense of guilt, a burdened responsibility for the events leading up to their current predicament.

"When we last spoke," he began, "we discovered the source of the explosion to be this device."

Images of a reconstructed model appeared before them; an amalgamation of metal, wires, and the assumed accoutrements of hard drives and things thereof. It was an ugly thing to look at with how haphazardly it was tinkered together within the middle of three difference screens; outdated in its bulky and boxy form. It resembled a sort of tower with the screens as its terminals, and powered the beast was a dust powered generator.

"Whatever was used to construct it had overheated, and the reactive components inside was the cause of the concussive force that placed your teammates in their current state."

"Which we already know," Yang answered. "But what _is_ it?"

Ozpin brought up additional photos of the now identified debris, and a list of transactions linked to personal accounts of Ruby, Velvet, and Nora. He watched as their teams scanned the items bought from all over Vale, and collectively stopping at the bottom where their eyes stayed glued on the final three purchases: _Fallout 3_ , _Fallout: New Vegas_ , and _Fallout 4_.

"From what we've learned, it appears that you team members were apparently working on something as a part of their hobby. While I am not well versed in this particular subject, we are led to believe that device in question was made as a means to play this game simultaneously. We have yet to understand why such an accident placed them in their current state, but the doctors are currently working on providing a plausible explanation.

"You're kidding, right?" Coco asked in disbelief.

"I am afraid not Miss Adel."

"But Velvet **hates** video games," the young woman insisted. "Ever since she was a kid, she never liked them because it would always give her headaches. She _told_ me so."

"And Ruby doesn't play them often," Yang offered as an additional explanation. "Yeah, she'll play one every now and then, but she's usually focused on training and weapon maintenance. When she isn't doing that, she's usually studying with her partner."

She turned to Weiss in hopes that her point was as solid as she claimed. When the heiress hesitated longer than acceptable, Yang knew something was wrong.

"We haven't studied together in a while," Weiss confessed.

" **What?** " There wasn't an intentional vindictiveness to her voice, but it was information that hadn't been shared with the rest of them. It would have explained Ruby's sudden change in her usual routine, and anything bit would help.

"Ruby's been studying on her own, and she only comes to me when it's a bit out of her depth. Aside from that, I don't know what she does in the time we aren't together."

"You never thought to _**ask**_?"

At this, Weiss bristled.

"No Yang, I never thought to. Your sister is old enough to decide for herself in what she wants to do with her time. If she wants to study on her own, train on her own, or spend time with people outside the team, then the decision is hers alone."

"And look where she ended up now!"

"Yang—" Blake tried to intercede.

"You didn't think it was weird that she would suddenly just spend time with _**Nora**_?"

"What are you implying?"

Ren stepped forward, his eyes carrying a dangerous glint of offense when Yang turned to him. Maybe it was the exhaustion of worry that had made Yang's words mean otherwise, or that he would interpret them as such, but the stood on the verge of no return when the brawler pressed the issue forward.

"You know better than anyone else how she is," she answered him. "She has a habit of drawing people into her ideas, even if she doesn't mean to. Whatever this machine thing is has to be one of those ideas."

"So you're saying it's Nora's _**fault**_ they're in that state."

"I'm saying that she's hard to turn down when her mind's set one something. Ruby's too nice of a person to say no, and Velvet—"

"What about her Xiao Long?" Coco crossed her arms as she sized up her junior, more than unimpressed with how the girl was beginning to pin blame. Velvet often spoke highly of the first year team, but the opinion was waning in comparison to the scene before her.

"She's a bit of a pushover," Yang answered candidly. "And that Nora must have roped them together into whatever happened."

"You must be pretty sure of yourself with other people's business."

"And you're any better? Velvet gets bullied in public and her team is nowhere to be found?"

Both of them began to square off, struggling to meet the other halfway while being separated by their respective teams.

"You don't know anything about her!"

"And you know nothing about my sister! She wouldn't be the type of person to go behind our backs and hide something!"

"And what if she _**did**_?"

Ren took a single step forward before Pyrrha and Jaune held him back.

"Do you really think she's as pure as you believe her to be?"

"She wouldn't lie to her sister!"

"The same sister who simply leaves Ruby behind for her other friends?"

Yang froze, recalling the first day arriving at Beacon Academy.

"From what Jaune told me, you ran off to make 'her own friends' while seeking out your own," the young man explained. He didn't need to look at his leader to know that the knight flinched when Yang turned to look at him. "Ruby talked him briefly about feeling out of place, something she didn't confide in _you_ about."

Both of them struggled against their retainers.

"Treating her like a child, hovering around her protectively, and leaving her at your own convenience; have you considered that she may feel as if you are patronizing her? That she has to _avoid_ you in order to be herself?"

Yang shrugged off Blake and Weiss violently, the intensity of the heat rolling of her body too difficult to restrain, and made to attack the quiet young man. Jaune and Pyrrha shifted to stand in front of him, but her right hook weaved between them toward Ren's unprotected face.

"ENOUGH!"

A wave of aural energy pulsed throughout the room, knocking the three parties away from each other. The teens scrambled to their feet, finding Goodwitch with her riding crop extended at them as the glow of power receded back to its user.

"I will remind you that you were summoned to be informed about the circumstances surrounding your teammates. You are not here to squabble among yourself and pin fault on the other."

"But they—"

"It is understood that _**everyone**_ is concerned about their friends, and that is not an exclusive right to you alone. Before anyone else begins to speculate, I will say that all three students were in fact meeting without your knowing."

The deputy headmistress had to brace herself for the collective look of incredulity sent her way. Of course she would be the last person to suspect as far as involvement was concerned, and lowered her weapon back to her side.

"As Miss Goodwitch states," Ozpin began again, "I can confirm that all three of your friends were privately meeting as a group over the course of several months at her suggestion."

"Her suggestion?" Jaune asked, voicing everyone's confusion. "I mean, why would they need to meet up in the first place?"

The headmaster folded his hands together, resting his chin upon them gently as he regarded each of the students before him.

"As you are well aware from the beginning orientation, each faculty member at Beacon is capable of holding private sessions with students for any particular issue. Often, such counseling tends to revolve around altercations with other students, a lack of confidence in their own abilities, or issues that delve deeper into the individual themselves."

"You mean…"

"That Miss Rose, Scarlatina, and Valkyrie were seeing Miss Goodwitch as a part of our academy's offered counseling session. They felt that their problems needed specific guidance that could not be met through their teammates. I understand that this is hard for you all to accept, but the dates of such meetings coincide with what each faculty member reports in."

"So you know what they were having problems with?" Ren emphasized.

"I do not," Ozpin answered simply. "Like with any session found in the kingdoms, there is a degree of confidentiality that cannot be breached by even myself. Whatever was discussed between your friends and Miss Goodwitch is strictly between them, unless consented otherwise."

Everyone turned to the older woman, and she shook her head.

"They asked for express privacy, even when I offered to have some of you as a source of contact for their progress."

The atmosphere around them grew heavier with the weight of the revelation. Their friends, whom they believed could have trusted them, chose to confide in someone other than themselves. It was a harsh truth that they couldn't overlook, but were forced to accept as the girls in question remained in "sleep".

"Initially, I did not intend for all three girls to meet. It was an accident about their scheduled sessions wherein they decided to spend time together; perhaps find additional comfort in a different environment with different people. I did not agree with it at first, but they had progressed well and consented to the idea."

"And was that machine their only project?" Weiss asked.

"They would mention their activities in their private sessions," Goodwitch answered vaguely, "but it more or less help improved their way of addressing their issues. Aside from that, I was only made aware of whatever they wished to share."

"But there's no other proof?" Yang pushed forward. "Nothing they did or left behind to at least let us know anything?"

"We did come across this," as Ozpin brought up the final window projected overhead. It looked to be a secured online page, crudely constructed, and presenting a single sentence and answer box.

" **Thus Kindly I Scatter"**

 **Password:**

" **Two parts bitter, and…"**

 **Password:**

" **A heart of the storm"**

 **Password:**

"From the data we were able to salvage, it appears that they were also documenting their work on a separate site," he gestured to the three part sign in. "In addition to informing you about what we've found we hope that some of you are able to provide any assistance, so that we can investigate further."

The teens looked among themselves while Coco, Yang, and Ren exchanged looks. Neither of the three wanted to be currently involved with the other, but they understood that refusal to cooperate would lock them out of information they wished to know. They didn't know why their friends or sister had decided to seek help privately without letting them know out of concern, but the answer could possibly be found in the work they left behind.

"If they help, are they going to be included in the investigation as well?" Jaune suddenly asked. It was an unusual question, even for the rest of them, as Ozpin's eyebrow quirked in interest.

"I anticipated that such an arrangement would arise. Am I to assume you will be brokering the deal for all three teams?"

"Only my own sir." Jaune turned to face Ren, finding a flash of betrayal and hurt coloring his expression.

"You can't do that Jaune…"

"Ren, I know you're angry—"

" **You have no right!** " Ren shouted. "You may be my leader and my friend, but you will _**not**_ speak for me or Nora. As her only family, _**I**_ have the final say."

"I have to do this."

Five words; simple in nature and arrangement that spurred a foreign swell of energy within Ren's body. His hands trembled uncharacteristically as he Jaune turned to face the headmaster.

"I'm sorry professor, but I don't think Ren is in the best mindset right now—"

Jaune's body crashes to the floor as Ren tackles him down, fists swinging wildly at the prone form. Pyrrha moves to pull him off, but the knight's raised hand halts her intervention as the boy is quickly pushed off. The green and white clad body tumbles across the floor as Jaune moves to hold him down, pinning down his arms to the floor.

"Get off me Jaune!"

"I need you to—"

"You can't stop me!"

"LISTEN TO ME!" the blonde shouted at his friend. Ren ceased slightly in his struggle, the animosity burning behind those bright pink eyes as tired azure ones started back.

"I get it man, I really do, but you're **not** the only one who's worried. Alright? You don't get to be that selfish about this, because Nora wouldn't want it that way."

Ren struggled against the hold as Jaune continued.

"Just look at you. You're not the strongest in our year, but I _**know**_ you would have been able to push me off in any other situation. You've gotten weak Ren, and this worry, this state you're in, isn't healthy man."

Ren tried to kick him off, but to no avail.

"You don't think Pyrrha or I don't worry about Nora? Or about you? Everyone else here is worried and scared as much as you are, but can't be like this man. If she woke up Nora and saw you like this, do you think it'd make her happy?"

"You don't—"

"I do Ren! Probably more than you want to believe, I _**do**_ know what it's like to lose sleep and health over someone you care about. And as your friend, I'm going to make sure you're not pushing yourself to that edge man. You're going to go back to the dorm _**tonight**_ , you're going to get some _**sleep**_ , and tomorrow you're going to start _**taking care of yourself**_ or so _**fucking**_ help me I see you waste away like I did!"

The hold over Ren loosened, and drop by drop, tears fell onto his face that cooled his anger. Even when Jaune's eyes brimmed, his expression was hard and stern; something that Ren was unused to in seeing the boy make. It was usually Nora who usually made violently outbursts, but when his thoughts cleared… he knew he had made a mistake that hurt more than himself. Jaune, for all of his faults, meant well. He learned from his own dealings with the bullying from Cardin to trust in his friends, and to allow that vulnerability so his friends could help share the weight. So when it was Ren's turn to seek help, like Jaune he pushed everyone away.

He knows Nora the longest and better than anyone else, but without anyone to help him in this crisis it affected him greatly. His worry clouded his judgment and it forced Jaune to bare his own past out of necessity than consent. From behind, Pyrrha waited shell shocked with the words adamantly stated as Jaune stood up and helped Ren to his feet; his arms quickly wiping away at his eyes.

"I'm sorry professor, but I don't want Ren to be involved just yet. He needs some time before he can help, and I know this will be problem for everyone else. Just give us a day or two for him get a bit healthy and when he's really ready."

"Of course Mister Arc," Ozpin agreed. "I believe I was too hasty in asking for all of your assistance so suddenly. Please take some time to rest, and I hope you all be in a better mindset when we begin."

He nodded his dismissal to the students, and each began to make their way to their own individual elevator lifts. Jaune looked over to Coco and Jauney, sending them a small apology before helping Ren towards their own ride down. Neither of the girls sent any sign of being as inconvenienced as the knight believed himself to be, knowing that he shared more than he liked, and nodded in agreement. Words were said with the wrong intention, and feelings of flared against the other. The news of their friend's recorded work should have been an incentive enough to put aside their differences, but it still did not remove the worry of what was to be found.

When the light above the elevators in his office signaled their stop, Ozpin released a sigh. Of all things to have control over, he had forgotten that souls of a tender age were also the most unpredictable. He could have handled the presentation of this information better, but what's done is done. He closed the projected information, bringing up two several windows.

"I believe the need for rest extends to you Glynda," he spoke aloud. Taiyang would be arriving soon with Qrow in tow, but it would be a few days until the Scarlatina family would arrive from Vacuo. They had more or less been brought up to date with the situation, though their responses were similar to that of his students.

"You have no need to voice it, but I believe this was an unforeseeable event that you should not hold yourself solely responsible for. Consider your duties for the night cleared. I'll have Port take them for the moment."

"Of course sir."

Heels clacked against the marble floor, and with a resonant bell ring she was gone. Ozpin became accustomed to how relatively quiet his office would become and deep ticking sounds of the gears over head was comforting. Their steady beats leveled with the pace of his thoughts, but they only brought a discord to them now; a ripple on the water's surface. He brought up the secured page once more, wondering why those girls would feel a need to secure their work behind such measures. How troubled were they? And while he prided himself in being able to reach out to even the most troubled or problematic student, these three were definitely the least expected of his concerns.

Ozpin took a drink from his mug, finding that the taste of coffee had gone cold and stale. A premonition of sorts? He wasn't sure.


End file.
